GREAT FLOOD IN MELBOURNE. LOSS OF LIFE AND, IMMENSE DE- STRUCTION OF PROPERTY. A flood of extraordinary magnitude swept &amp;nbsp; down the valley of tho Yarra on Sunday, 12th July.' This inundation oamo as a groat surprise to many who had lulled themselves into a feeling of seourity that Melbourne ' was in future to be safe from a recurrence of siioh scenes as the great floods of 1863 and 1878 after the comple tion of tho river improvements and the removal of tho falls. jBut thoso who thought ho did not take into account tho remarkable rainfall Bince Friday night, Mr. Ellory esti mates that during 44 hours 4.40 inches of rain have fallon. It had been raining without inter mission for nearly two days and two nights, and the evidences of the enormous volume of water poured during that time upon Melbourne and suburbs was forthcoming in the swollen state of the Yarra, ; whioh before dawn on Sun day overflowed its banks The wators were banked up by tho south-westerly wind, and the f...

DISASTROUS/EXPLOSION! ON BOARD ; , ,?_., ..; ,; H.M.S. CORDELIA. ;;»:,: ?,-,-, ,. H.M. S. Cordelia, -which arrived on 6th July in .-, Port jaokson rafter an extended trip amongst the ,:: islands, brings particulars 'of. a... fearful ? oatastroplie. through .the bursting of ra, gun.s whioh happened on board on 29th June, re sulting in the death of two lieutenants and four men, and injury to 13 others. -At-the- time of- the explosion the Cordelia was about 45 miles from Fiji on her way to Noumea to relieve the Rapid. The orew wore engaged at' the quarterly gun praatico, and tho gun whioh burst was a 6-inoh /breeoh ?- loader,' number 3 on the' port side, and ? was in charge of Lieutenant. Gordon.: Six rounds had beon jfirsd, arid the 'ioventh, vwhioli was to have been', fired ;at a target 2000 yards distant, consisted {'Sot. a full cliargo of 34 lb. of powder, in addition to whioh' there were the. usual shells, and the bursting Charge of 7£ lb. From some cause or other as yet unexplain...

THE OFFICERS OF THE ,, METROPOLI TAN BOARD OF WORKS. - The Metropolitan Board of Works, whioh has reoently been ' brought Into being, haa r been entrusted with the administration of the water supply of the city and with the oarrying out of the system of sewage. Its effloienoy will 'depend very greatly on the ability of the principal officials, whose portraits are given herewith. -' The chairman, Mr. Edmund Gerald Fitzgibbon, is one of the most notable of Melbourne'oitizens. For over 35' years ho ocoupied the post of town clerk; and only relinquished that honorable posi tion to accept the higher office whioh he now holds. He is a native of; Cork, and still retains evidences 'of his nationality. ? At an early age he 'orossod the Channel and was employed in England under 'theOommittee'of the Privy Counoil onEduoation. He ' arrived in Melbourne in September, 1852, .and/ soon; afterwards, started for the Mount 'Alexander' gold diggings, ; whero he remained until the following year, -.whe...

THE NORTHERN TERRITORY. -. .^ Br- Lord KiNTORBi ?? - Having, arranged that I should visit Port Dar win, and .from thenoe travel overland to Ade laide, I left Adelaide on the 26th of -February, travelling overland to Brisbane.' .and -joining the steamer at More ton Bay on the 22nd March. On my arrival at Port Darwin on the 31st,1 March, I was welcomed with extreme cor diality by all the residents of Palmerston. The reoeption given me by the Chinese commu nity was especially gratifying, seeing that I was the head of an Executive which had passed through Parliament drastic measures of Chinese exolusioru Leaving Palmerston on. the 8th April, accompanied by Dr. E. O. Stirling, of Adelaide, we proceeded by railway to Pine Creek, a dis tance of 146 miles. From there to the head of the Great Northern railway, at Oodnadatta,. a distanoe of some 1220 milesi -wo 'fodo or drove. Ooduadatta was reaohed without serious acci dent on the '20th of May, and Adelaide on the 23rd. : - ; '??.; - -j ' : ...

WWSMim Tho only theatrical event of interest during the' past month was the appearance of J. L. Sullivan, the pugilist, at the Opera House, in a piece specially written for him by Mr. Harrison. A crowded house greeted the ox-ohampion on his 'first' night in Melbourne, but the audience was disappointed, inasmuch as Mr. Sullivan did not. appear . to advantage as a prize fighter, but only as a vory indifferent stock 'actor. . At the Theatre Royal Miss Laura Villiers and her company have not hit the publio taste. The Dancing Girl, which was regarded, as her trump card, was almost a failure, and had to be i replaoed after a fortnight by Woodbarrow Farm, which waa succeeded by .the Adelphi drama, A Celebrated Case, in which the company have .appeared to better advantage. At the Bijou Messrs. Brough and Bouoicault , produced Peril with gratifying results, and on the ,22nd .ult. Mr. Bouoioault made his dibtit bb a dramatic author in a romantio play entitled Devotion, whioh was fairly succes...

Chapter II. ' : Ruth, on the next afternoon,, had gone but ?very few paces down the main 'road from her homo before she saw her new acquaintance com ing, to meet her. He had not asked permission to come, but at this fresh proof of his interest a mulcian foolinn- of inrlnflnahlfi elation of Hnul took possession of her. She wished that she could have siippressod her blush as she returned his .greeting ; but her life was lived upon far too natural lines for her to have the outward signs of feeling and emotion easily under command. He took her book from, her hand with the same all possessing manner that bad excited in her so many ourious feelings -the, day before. : 'Areyougoingtogivememysittini??' heasked. ' ' with the air * of one making a petition, ' as they' turned into the lane. .' ? ^. -Ruth had spent all the morning debating the rightfulness or wrongfulnesa of the proceeding ; yet all she could say now was, hesitatingly, -.'. ' Are you sure it will not trouble you. ' 'Trouble!' h...

THE AUSTRALIAN SHEEP BREEDERS' ??-?.'?,&amp;? : -a: -?»; kSHOw. '£-v :* % .-? i; I The annual * show of tho Australian Snoop Bredors' Association was held in Melbourne on j the' 17th August. There were scarcely so many entries as. on .former occasions,' but no falling off h tho quality of the exhibits was ubtioeable.. In tho opon olass ' for aged rams there were nine entries. The' place of honor.-.wasi.awardod to a sheep of great substance, with a dense j fleece of medium ; wool, -bred and. exhibited by i Messrs.; ;Wm.' Gumming and - Son, - Mount ? 1'yans. -The' Champion; Prize;' 'for ?_ the' 'best j merino ram in, the ?; show, also -went; , to ! this exhibit; ? 'The . longwool section of the ? show was but moderately strong as regards tho i number of entries,': but -, the quality' of. the ex- j hibits, all1 Lincoln'- sheep, wan first race. A ; large- framed ram, / tho property of Mr. Win. j M'UuUocl), of Colao, took champion prize in this ' class,- but other prizes were well di...

THE BRIDGE OVER THE AVON— MAFFRA TdlBRIAGOLONG RAILWAY. The unusually 'heavy 'floods in Gippsland whioh .took plaoe early /.in the past , month, in addition to tho .extensive damage referred to olsowhero, .totally, destroyed the bridge under notice. It .was the largest of several bridges on this section- of .'railway, whioh was built m.1889. The structure' was a wooden one, the spans being 20 to 23 feet each, and crossing the stream (it right 'angle's to the ourrent.'.' The treatloa varied in ' height from 23 /feet to 29 .feet, and ♦':'? v »,. . .., i .-: .:,,'„ f. . „-. ? : \x-' i.. ; . were formed of two main piles carrying the superstructure, .with tho side and stay piles, , to whioh the diagonal bracings and Valingb' were, bolted. The Avon Occasionally overflows its banks, and as the undor side of the girders of the bridge was but 2 feet' above ground level, it is considered that tho spans should have been at least three times as long as they were to ensure the safety o* tho wor...

MAIN STREET, 'WALHALLA. Wo givoaviow.pf the main street of Wal halla, which, was converted by tho floods into a raging torront. Tho Long Tunnel batteries are shown on tho right, with tramway on the hill side and wood and quartz shoots. Tho view is taken looking south towards the main road coming down the steep hill at Little Joe. Whilo a'man was ploughing hid farm near Timaru the other day, ho . found a 20 guinea gold watch lost 9 years ago. The paddook had been oropped several times during the 9 y«ar», . ? WALHALLA.— THE MAIN STREET. WALHALLA.— THE MAIN STREET.

THE. -LADIES .COLUMN ? ' A FASHIONABLE CAPE.. The most fashionable outdoor garment in the' shape of a wrap is the large loose- 'oircular capo which was bo popular at the racos last month. It is not intondcd only for tho winter season, for it will bo much worn during tho spring in light materials. There . are several varieties of this capo, but they arc all much the satno style, tho one wo have choson for illus tration being equally effective in heavy or light fabrics.- 'The yokes, collar, &amp;c, though shown' braided, can bo of a second material suoh as vel vet, beaded gauze or brooade. There is a seam down the centre to Bhape it to the back, the sleove part being arranged in three pleats to. wards tho front, while the ahoulder is gathered to raise it. The fiont is gathered into a pointed yoke, tho nook being finished with a Medici collar. Thon down the centre of the baok n long, narrow, braided plastron is slip stitohod on. This oapo is of course eminently suited to slight fig...

MR. O. F. FRASER. - ', Mr. C. F. Fraser, the'reoently appointed 'sti pendiary steward, is one of'th'o oldest natives of Victoria' now resident in the. colony,', and wad born in Melbourne. ' He is the aon of the late Major 'Fraser, whose station was situated near the site of the present township of Mordialloo, and ,. as an owner. 'of ' , horses Mr. Frasor has been known on the Vic torian turf for the last '30 years. He scored a number of viotories with Dollar (trained by J. ? Loek), .and also won several races with Sir Charles and Bldntyre. Mr. ? Fraser '/also owned a wonderful galloway in 'Wantage, one of the handsomest' miniature race horses ' imu ginablo, with whom he won over 20 races, 'and a iamous little hurdle racer, Pemberloy, who now does easy work between the shafts of his owner's phaeton. 'This horse was named atter Mr. eraser's residenco adjacent to the Malmsbury resoivoir, and amongst other good performances he once beat the mighty Sussex over hurdles at Flemington. When...

..?j j|?B«!;j;sTa A;ai_ai^.:,o;Aftt;tt;iiStt; ai?,d ; a abb*.;^ ;ao£ti&amp;i Q*?»r(sjm vixmMhi ., THE STEAMERS GAMBIER AND EASBY: in collision; ? , i ,: On Friday morning last, the 28th ult., the people of Melbourne were startled with the;': intelligence that these well known coastal' traders had been in collision.' and that the former had sunk, causing the death of over a score of hqr passengers and crew. Later infor mation confirmed the earlier reports and showed that they had not been in the least exaggerated. From statements made by members of the orew and. by survivor*, it appears that the Gambior, inward bound from Syduoy, entered the Heads about midnight and steamed along tho West Channol, tho night being desoribed as dark^ but free from fog, while, the Bea was smooth. . The lights of an approaohing steamer, whioh subse quently proved to bo tho Easby, out ward, bound, were seen by the cap tain, .of the - Gambier ' soon after passing Queensoliff, and -ho ? avers that on th...

THE ILLUSTRATED AUSTRA LIAN NEWS. (Published on tho 1st of Every Month). Contains, in addition to a well written Summary of the Month ; a Full Account of tho Events through out the Colonies; also a Selection of High doss Engravings, Illustrative of Colonial Scenery, Current - Events &amp;c.,&amp;c It has a first class sale in Australia, Tasmania, and New Zealand, besides being well distributed through out Europe, America and the East. The Best Artists and Engravers in Australia are engaged on Thelllustiated Australian News. SUBSCRIPTION (including postage), 8s. PER 4NNUM. BATES for ADVERTISEMENTS :— 10s. per INCH (single column). SPECIAL LONDON OFFICE: 140 Fleet-8fc., E.O. : FOREIGN AGENTS: LONDON. GEO. STREET and Co., 30 CornhUI, B.C. F. AXGAR, 11, 12 Clement's-lane, Lombard-st. BATES, HENDY and Co., 37 Walbroofc, E.C. GORDON and GOTCH, St. Bride-at., B.C. CLARKE, SON and PLATT, 85 Graceohurch-st. P. H. PHILLIPS, 131 Fleet-st., E.C. R. WATSON, 150 Fleet-st., E.C. T. COLMAN,...

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ftiias JESSIE FOTHERGILL. The death is announced by cable of. Miss Jessie Fothergill, the popular, novelist. ;.Tho Queen of 13th Juno says : — The Fothergill family were' Quakers, . but , Miss Fothergill's , father was obliged to leave 'the Sooiety of Friends in ? oonse quenoe of his marriage with a member of the Church of England. Mr. ' Fothergill was engaged in l tho Manchester cotton trade as a .cloth and yarn agent, and also as a manufacturer. Misd Jessie Fotlior'gill was born at Cheetham Hill, but when she was about '4 or 5, the ^ family removed to Bowdon, about 10 miles out _' of Manchester. Here, in 1866, Mr. Fother gill :. died, und Mrs. Fothorgill ??; then went with' her- 'children to live quite in tho - country, at Littloboiough, near Roohdale. Miss . Jessie Fothergill describes herself at this time as. '.eager for knowledge, but hating lesBons '' — a definition that would' fit tho case of a good many boys and girls in the days before education had uselt become a study. Sh...